Published: Saturday, March 23, 2013 at 3:15 a.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, March 24, 2013 at 1:30 a.m.

TRAVELERS REST — The main purpose of Saturday's first South Carolina College All Star Bowl was to provide some players who were under the radar of NFL scouts an opportunity to shine at least one last time.

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But the real star wattage came from the coaching staff with Clemson legend Danny Ford heading the Upstate squad against College Football Hall of Fame counterpart Willie Jeffries leading the Low Country.

Assistants included the likes of longtime NFL Pro-Bowler Brian Dawkins, current NFL lineman Nick Eason and former NFL player Patrick Sapp.

Ford retired from coaching in 1997 after four seasons at Arkansas and it was not only a treat for older fans to see him prowling the sideline in a ball cap and oversized jacket, but also memorable for the players to get a chance to play for such a well-known name.

“It was so great to have coach Ford out there and just have the chance to be around him in a football setting and get to experience kind of how he would treat his team,” former Byrnes and Gardner-Webb offensive lineman Jamie Dunaway said. “It was one of those things that was very surreal to have him out there coaching.”

Former Newberry quarterback Brian Ehrlich, who threw two touchdowns in the game, was thrilled to have had a chance to soak in some knowledge for a national championship-winning coach.

“This was great and actually kind of funny when I got asked to play and after saying I would then I found who was coaching,” Ehrlich said. “It's been great to be able to play under Danny Ford and have the time to stand off to the side in practice and have conversations with him. It's great to really learn some things from him because he really knows what he's talking about.”

Ford and Jeffries had been promoting the game previously with a little trash talk and Ford said the competitive juices always flow when he's around football or most anything else for that matter.

“Me and coach Jeffries had been butting heads and kidding and talking,” Ford said. “I used to play checkers in high school and college and liked to win doing that so if you're a competitive person you're going to want to win no matter what the game is. I'm competitive watching teams play football from my living room, pulling for one team or the other.

“The players all took it seriously and it was a pretty good football game.”

<p>TRAVELERS REST — The main purpose of Saturday's first South Carolina College All Star Bowl was to provide some players who were under the radar of NFL scouts an opportunity to shine at least one last time.</p><p>But the real star wattage came from the coaching staff with Clemson legend Danny Ford heading the Upstate squad against College Football Hall of Fame counterpart Willie Jeffries leading the Low Country.</p><p>Assistants included the likes of longtime NFL Pro-Bowler Brian Dawkins, current NFL lineman Nick Eason and former NFL player Patrick Sapp.</p><p>Ford retired from coaching in 1997 after four seasons at Arkansas and it was not only a treat for older fans to see him prowling the sideline in a ball cap and oversized jacket, but also memorable for the players to get a chance to play for such a well-known name.</p><p>“It was so great to have coach Ford out there and just have the chance to be around him in a football setting and get to experience kind of how he would treat his team,” former Byrnes and Gardner-Webb offensive lineman Jamie Dunaway said. “It was one of those things that was very surreal to have him out there coaching.”</p><p>Former Newberry quarterback Brian Ehrlich, who threw two touchdowns in the game, was thrilled to have had a chance to soak in some knowledge for a national championship-winning coach.</p><p>“This was great and actually kind of funny when I got asked to play and after saying I would then I found who was coaching,” Ehrlich said. “It's been great to be able to play under Danny Ford and have the time to stand off to the side in practice and have conversations with him. It's great to really learn some things from him because he really knows what he's talking about.”</p><p>Ford and Jeffries had been promoting the game previously with a little trash talk and Ford said the competitive juices always flow when he's around football or most anything else for that matter.</p><p>“Me and coach Jeffries had been butting heads and kidding and talking,” Ford said. “I used to play checkers in high school and college and liked to win doing that so if you're a competitive person you're going to want to win no matter what the game is. I'm competitive watching teams play football from my living room, pulling for one team or the other.</p><p>“The players all took it seriously and it was a pretty good football game.”</p>